Alkaline battery.



No Drawing.

- mechanically mixed.

of caustic potash the metals are oxidized 'uivrrnn XVILLIAM MORRISON, GIE DES MOINLS, IOW'A.

ALKALINE BATTERY.

erase T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLrAM ll'lORlusuN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Des Moines, Iowa, have in vented a certain-new and useful Improvement in Alkaline Batteries, of which the tollowing is a specification.

.My invention relates to improvements in alkaline batteries, and has for its object the production of a depolarizing material which, When applied to a suitable support or gr l in the proper manner, produces an Ql'llClGllt plate.

A further object is the production of a positive-pole plate or cathode in which 1T1Q1'- cury is combined with silver in such a, man nor as to produce a negative element of great etliciency and cheapnessj In the preparation of the element, 1 take for example silver and mercury in the proportion of one pound of silver to five pounds or more of mercury and dissolve them in nitric acid. I then add caustic potash in excess of thatnecessary to precipitate both, and thus precipitate the oxids of silver and mercury. I then Wash the precipitate in hot water, preferably containing a little caustic soda or potash, and dry the precipitate. The precipitate is then packed into a suitable support or grid, for example one of copper, great pressure being used in forcing the material in place. The negative electrode is then ready for use in an alkaline battery, Without forminq.

When used in a battery with a suitable alkaline electrolyte and a suitable negative:

pole plate, the depolarizing material re cluced upon discharge to a silver amalgam, Which,-upon the re -charge, again oxidizes, resuming its original state. By dissolving the metals and precipitating their oxids, the silver and mercury are completely mixed in the proper proportion, and. in much bett shape than when the oxide of the metals are By the use of the to a very high state of oxidation, and proximately that which they will rec the ice-charge of the battery. c quently the depolarizer should be packed into the plate as solidly as possible, as on the discharge the oxygen taken from the plate leavels the material quite porous. 7 .By the use of a plate formed asinoted above, I attain nearly, if not quite, as good results as those attained by the use otpure Specification of Letters intent.

Patented N l5, ilti'l).

Application filed December 8, 1909. Serial No. 531,230.

silver, and at a very much reduced cost. Plates may also be made by other methods; for instance: After applying the oxide of silver and mercury to the support, and prior to using the electrode in a battery, X may subject it to electrolytic reduction in a solution of potassiunt hyd ate. The oxids will be completely reduced, leaving a very porous, absorbent amalgam of silver and mercury, and in this shape it will be it could readily be applied to a battc v, but this is not advantageous as a ng the oxids direct. Attention is called tothis to show a method of applying the material in such a conditionas to possess the proper porosity. lVhile I describe the use of the onids as my preferred method in making this electrode by preliminary reduction, good results might be obtained by the use of other compounds or salts of silver and mercury. 1t is clear that a mixture of mercury sub-chlorid and silver chloridin the proper proportion could be used in a like manner; of course, Washing out the soluble chlorids after reducing. I prefer, however, to use the oxids, they are already oepolarizers, obviating the expense of reduction and reoxidation.

It will be noted that the combined in such proportions and in such a manner as to provide the greatest amount of mercury which itis possible to hold in a solid condition. by the silver when the element is discharged.

It is, of course, understood that i". do not limit myself to the exact proportions noted above, as a workable battery may be made in k which plates are used in which different, proportions of mercury and silver are employed. It is obvious that a high proportion of mercury decreases the cost; the battery, the supply of current is ably discontinued when the mercury been reoridized, leaving the silver in metallic condition, to act as a support ccndu ctor,

claim; I l

and

ixtuLa. out Mi.

, at d mercury on said ii'positirepole electrode for reversible alkaline batt e res, comprising; a conductor or support, and

I inechani'eally-applied intimate mixture of tinely-divided binds oi silver and mercury on'said support, the promaterials are In charging preterportion of the mercury oxiel in the mixture being relal ively larger I 3. A positive-pole electrode for reversible alkaline bzitl'cries, comprising a conductor or support, and a mcelmniczilly-applierl'intimale mixture of "chemically-precipitacerl oxi'cls of silver and mercury on said support, the proportion of the mercury oxirl in the mixture being relatively large.

4, The process of making a posilixe-pole electrode for reversible alkaline batteries, which consists in producing an intimate mixture of finch-divided compounds of silver and mercury, applying said mixture to a conductor or support, and electrolytr Cally reducing said compounds to silver and mercury,

5. The process of making a-positi e-pole electrode for reversible alkaline batteries,

ome a :3 mixture of finely-divided oxide of silver and mercury, applying said mixture to 2V eonrluctor or support, and electrolytically duringsaid. oxids to silver zmrl mercury.

F. The process of making :1 positirepole electrode for reversible alkaline batteries, which cons s in producing a solution of salts of silver and mercury, chemically precipiiuliug a .mixkure of oxids of silver and mercury from said soluiion, e applying said mixture lo a support or conductor.

Signek'l by me at Gl'iiezigo Illinois, this 29th (lay of Yoi'ember, 1909.

W lLLIl-rlii MORRLKFF.

b A 3 I wl'nch consists 111 prorlueinp an intimate Wi messes:

l i n. B. D'URNION, E. H. CLR 6. 

